Large carnivore conservation actions for Latvia an update of national species conservation plans

Transcription

1 Large carnivore conservation actions for Latvia an update of national species conservation plans Contractor: Wildlife Management research group LSFRI Silava Addresses for proposals: 1

2 Interest group involvement Interešu grupu iesaiste Public discussions on Conservation Plan drafts Three trials of public discussions were planned. The first discussion took place on the 17 th January All stake holders supposedly connected to the conservation of wolves, lynx or brown bears in Latvia are addressed (27 governmental institutions and NGOs). Majority confirmed participation by January 9. The list of the stake holder bodies that actually responded is available upon request. All proposals and comments were recorded. Second meeting takes place on February 22. It is attended by international experts invited to facilitate discussions and to review the conservation goals and actions according to the best experience at the international level. Leading experts from Estonia and Lithuania are involved. Key specialists are invited from non-eu countries (Canada and Norway) for more independent expertise. Final meetings will be organised after the complete compilation of the updated Conservation Plans. The terms and agendas will be appointed for each species separately and sent to addresses of all contributors. 2

3 Punkti/Value 10,0 9,0 8,0 7,0 6,0 5,0 4,0 3,0 2,0 1,0 0,0-1,0 Vilku SAP līdzšinējo pasākumu vērtējums/evaluation of current actions for Wolf conservation 9,9 7,2 5,9 8,1 7,4 7,1 6,8 6,8 7,6 8, Pasākums/Action vērtējums max min 1.Monitoring of the population status 2.Elaboration of the compensation system for the wolf-caused damage where funding would be obtained from structural funds for rural support 3.Inspections of taxidermy workshops and fur processing workshops 4.Wolf diet research and assessment of wolf impact on prey populations 5.Information work on livestock protection from wolf attacks, based on the experience from other countries 6.Telemetry project with the aim of finding out the home range size and wolf territorial behaviour 7.Anonymous opinion poll among hunters on wolf numbers, unregistered cases of wolf mortality and the attitude to the hunting control system 8.To introduce a more user-friendly and fool-proof system of reporting wolves that were hunted and found dead due to other reasons 9.Seminars for specialists from relevant fields on wolf (large carnivore) conservation news in the country 10.Public education and awareness raising 3

4 Punkti/Value 10,0 9,0 8,0 7,0 6,0 5,0 4,0 3,0 2,0 1,0 0,0-1,0 Lūšu SAP līdzšinējo pasākumu vērtējums/evaluation of current actions for Lynx conservation 9,9 6,7 8,3 7,1 6,9 5,1 6,3 7, Pasākums/Action 9,1 vērtējums max min 1.Population status monitoring 2.Control of taxidermy and pelt workshops 3.Diet studies and assessment of lynx impact on prey populations 4.Continuation of the telemetry project and data analysis with the aim to find out about lynx habitat use. 5.Anonymous hunters survey about lynx number, non-registered lynx deaths and attitude towards the control system of lynx hunting 6.Amendments in the Council of Ministers Regulations on calculating losses caused by game species to agriculture 7.To introduce a more user-friendly and faultresistant system of reporting hunted and dead lynx 8.Workshops (for experts) on lynx (large carnivores) conservation status in the country. 9.Public information about research results 4

5 Punkti/Value 10,0 9,0 8,0 7,0 6,0 5,0 4,0 3,0 2,0 1,0 0,0-1,0 Lāču SAP līdzšinējo aktivitāšu vērtējums/ Evaluation of current actions for Brown bear conservation 9,6 8,1 7,7 6,8 7,6 8,8 8, Aktivitāte/Action 6,3 vērtējums max min 1.Population status monitoring 2.To promote experience from other countries regarding prevention of bear attacks on beehives and livestock 3.Education events for schoolchildren regarding brown bears and their conservation in Latvia 4.Anonymous survey of hunters about bear numbers and unregistered cases of bear mortality 5.Seminars (for experts and representatives of relevant fields) on bear conservation news in Latvia 6.Spreading research results and public education work 7.To agree on the procedure how to solve situations in relation to problem bears and bears that are killed or injured illegally 8.Telemetry project with the aim to find out the size of the home range and its use by Latvian bears 5

6 Conservation goal people carnivore coexistence, a favourable population status, no population target in terms of maximal numbers. 6

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10 Lynx 10

11 Wolf 11

12 Brown bear 12

13 Guidelines to prioritize proposed conservation actions into three categories: I crucial actions non-fulfilment could lead to species extinction from recent range and habitats or jeopardize international obligations; apzīmē vissvarīgāko(ās) darbību(as), kuras(u) neveikšana tieši apdraud sugas saglabāšanu esošajās dzīvesvietās vai starptautisko saistību neizpildi; II important actions fulfilment helps to achieve conservation goal within current reference period of the Action Plan, however its missing does not endanger species survival within recent range or habitat; apzīmē svarīgu darbību, kuras veikšana palīdz mērķu sasniegšanai plāna darbības periodā, taču tās neveikšana tieši neapdraud sugas saglabāšanu esošajās dzīvesvietās; III significant action that is commendatory yet does not impact population survival at national level crucially. apzīmē būtisku darbību, kuras veikšana ir ieteicama, taču kas nav vitāli nepieciešama sugas dzīvotspējīgas populācijas(u) saglabāšanai valstī). 13

14 Unmixed priority I monitoring Two goals: adaptive management reporting to EC Missing index hunting effort Diet research, interaction with prey populations Passages across roads and railways Summarization of bear evidences? comparability within range of Baltic population 14

15 Assessment and reporting under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive example on Wolf Reporting Formats for the period Range Izplatība 2.9 Conclusions (atbilstoši General Evaluation matrix) (assessment of conservation status at end of reporting period) Population Populācijas lielums Habitat for the species Piemērots biotops Future prospects Nākotnes perspektīvas Overall assessment of Conservation Status Overall trend in Conservation Status a) Favourable (FV) / Inadequate (U1) / Bad (U2) / Unknown (XX) b) If CS is U1 or U2, use of qualifiers is recommended a) Favourable (FV) / Inadequate (U1) / Bad (U2) / Unknown (XX) b) If CS is U1 or U2, use of qualifiers is recommended 5 a) Favourable (FV) / Inadequate (U1) / Bad (U2) / Unknown (XX) b) If CS is U1 or U2, use of qualifiers is recommended 5 a) Favourable (FV) / Inadequate (U1)/ Bad (U2) / Unknown (XX) b) If CS is U1 or U2, use of qualifiers is recommended 5 Favourable (FV) / Inadequate (U1) / Bad (U2) / Unknown (XX) If overall CS is U1 or U2, use of qualifier '+' (improving), '-' (declining), '=' (stable) or 'x' (unknown) is obligatory LV eksperta atbilde/vērtējums Favourable (FV) Favourable (FV) Favourable (FV) Favourable (FV) Favourable (FV) Paskaidrojums, kāda informācija/datu avoti izmantoti novērtējumos, kā dati interpretēti u.tml. 15

16 Priority II elaboration of the compensation/prevention system for damages A note by the stakeholders: Implementation of compensatory mechanisms may enhance society s tolerance toward wolves. Moreover, there may be more reports (and data) concerning depredation on livestock. 16

17 Notes by the stakeholders: Compensations should be provided from structural funds for rural support, especially for preventive activities, because wolves are hunted quite intensively and are not strictly protected. However, wolf caused damage to livestock and other loss may be compensated from funds for nature conservation. Compensations should be reserved from nature conservation funds because controlling the numbers and setting the hunting quotas are conducted according to concerns of nature conservation. 17

18 Priority II - strengthen surveillance of turn-over in game trophies and products (example on Lynx) 18

19 Priority II education and awareness raising Should be specified according interest groups and stakeholders school children, farmers, tourists, hunters etc., however part of the information can be shared by general public (e.g. safety issues) Means of information: lectures, a variety of leaflets, articles, interviews, movies, home pages, a book etc. Ensure English version of information (SAP, home pages etc.) Science involvement Notes by the stakeholders: It is essential to inform the hunters in order not to evaluate the lynx as an exclusive trophy or a threat to roe-deer (taking into account that lynx self-regulate their population well). Obligatory instruction on preventive activities for livestock holders should be introduced. Educational work should focus both on general public and hunters. Educational work should also focus on middle-aged people living outside of cities, which frequently go to pick berries and mushrooms. There is a great concern about a proper behaviour when encountering a bear (how to behave, where to report). 19

20 Priority III scientific research Notes by the stakeholders: What will occur, when the population size will exceed its carrying capacity? Population size is determined by monitoring the population condition. When assessing the population status, indices of hunting effort should be elaborated and applied for reducing the hunting intensity. The 4 th activity (a telemetry project) should also include genetic research. Research on potential competitors for food (medium-sized carnivores). Research on allele exchange between populations of western and eastern Latvia. Impact assessment of Rail Baltica. 20

21 Priority III a social survey Should repeat previously performed inquiry for comparability Results are guiding, not necessarily uncritically considered in management Apart from general public, the key interest groups should be surveyed specifically Notes by the stakeholders: Developing a web-based questionnaire for hunters Medniekiem.lv was suggested. The 5 th (anonymous opinion poll among hunters) and 7 th activity (reporting system of hunted and accidently killed wolves) should be combined as a single activity. 21

22 Priority??? - hunting Maintain restricted hunting of wolves and lynx for ensuring human large carnivore coexistence unless hunting aggravates favourable conservation status of populations and contradicts to generally accepted code of ethics. Changes in legal acts? Saglabāt vilku (lūšu) ierobežotas medības, kā plēsēju un cilvēku līdzāspastāvēšanu veicinošu saimniecisku darbību, ja populācijas tiek uzturētas labvēlīgā aizsardzības stāvoklī un medību procesā tiek ievēroti nosacījumi, kas tās padara atbilstošas sabiedrībai būtiskām vispāratzītām ētiskām vērtībām. Vai nepieciešams papildināt normatīvos aktus? 22

23 Manifesto Legalised, well regulated hunting of large carnivores at sustainable levels can be a useful tool in responding to conflict, through slowing their increase to socially acceptable levels, engaging local populations in management, increasing their perceived local value, and decreasing illegal killing. Legalizētas, labi uzraudzītas un uz ilgtspējības principiem balstītas lielo plēsēju medības var būt noderīgs ceļš uz konfliktu mazināšanu, jo tās aizkavē populācijas pieaugumu līdz sociāli pieļaujamam līmenim, iesaista populāciju apsaimniekošanā vietējos iedzīvotājus, veicina izpratni par dabas vērtībām un samazina nelikumīgas medības. 23

24 Legal justification of Lynx hunting By accession to European Union in 2004, Latvia had to implement new restrictions to ensure species conservation in conformity with EU Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC, as well as with Bern Convention and Washington Convention CITES (both ratified in 1997). Local point of view - restrictions for lynx harvesting are appointed not because of identified threats to populations but rather to establish a system for diminishing or banning hunting as soon as any threat would appear. Since 2004, lynx hunting became subject to derogations from the Habitat Directive. The lynx is harvested in accordance with SMP: monitoring - annual quotas. 24

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27 Lynx diet (subadults) Note: photos are taken in laboratory of LSFRI Silava and do not represent the same individual but characterize condition of orphan lynx 27

28 Options to reduce hunting pressure if needed: Medību intensitātes samazināšanas iespējas: Shorter season (autumn vs. spring) Īsāks termiņš (rudens vai pavasaris) Diminishing quota Mazāks limits Splitting of quota in parts according territorial division without opportunity for redistribution Limita sadalījums pa teritorijām bez pārdales iespējas Ban of hunting across certain areas Teritoriju noteikšana, kurās nemedī To set one season without harvest Gads bez medīšanas To issue individual shooting permits with limited validity Terminētas medību atļaujas pirms sezonas sākuma Restricted use of weapons and ammunition Ieroču un munīcijas ierobežojums 28

29 Priority III develop nonconsumptive use Nature tourists and large carnivores a challenge for rural small scale economy? 29